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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.6 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by #alexindahouse on 12/3/2023 & rated 91 points: Very nice silky smooth strawberry and spice - second night and the wine is giving up a lot more, strawberry , spice a touch of leather and some marzipan - definitely more happening on the second night. The caronne is great value for money as always (360 views) | | | Tasted by Julian Marshall on 8/21/2023 & rated 90 points: Good but not the best Caronne, this has plenty of silky elegance as usual, just lacking a little oomph to merit a higher score, probably due to the vintage, but not remotely green or unripe. (706 views) | | | Tasted by lake.vino on 7/22/2023 & rated 91 points: Nose black currant, cedar. Cigar. Palate nicely balanced with good acid and moderate tannin. Mineral is there. Cacao. (532 views) | | | Tasted by Paul@bbott on 5/14/2023 & rated 89 points: Medium garnet. Blackcurrant, cedar and leather nose. More open than previous bottles, light and almost Loire like in style.
Overall good to go. (716 views) | | | Tasted by Paul@bbott on 2/19/2023 & rated 88 points: Still fairly deep colour, a lean 2014 style, perhaps this will improve with a couple more years, but not a long keeper. One for those that enjoy a lighter style of claret. (828 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 12/30/2022 & rated 88 points: Red and dark berries and some cherries in the bouquet and on the palate. Good acidity and tannin as well as a good length. A bit silly I opened my last bottle without checking my notes. The wine is nice, but still youthful and developing for the better. Around 2025 it will probably show more finesse. (1089 views) | | | Tasted by Zazzaman on 10/14/2022 & rated 90 points: I note the Community’s comments and scores - I agree the herbaceous slightly green stem nose but on clear black fruit with good length and end. Tannins have edge but are soft. I found it attractive to drink before dinner as well as finishing it after food. Good basic Bordeaux and a steal at the price hence a 90. (829 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 7/5/2022 & rated 89 points: In the bouquet dark berries and sweet spices. On the palate the same dark berries and spices. Good acidity and round tannin with still a good bite. The wine is in its very young maturity stage and will show more finesse with a few more years of ageing. (1250 views) | | | Tasted by Oenecnist on 6/23/2022: Quick note: Probably 12e at a supermarche, good color, simple, good for everyday. (842 views) | | | Tasted by Angro on 1/26/2022 & rated 89 points: Definitely barnyard notes, but became much better balanced, with some very nice earthy notes with air. Very nice on night 2. (995 views) | | | Tasted by Gander on 8/23/2021 & rated 89 points: We both liked this wine. $23 (1026 views) | | | Tasted by Mark Bostock on 2/21/2021: It’s classic Haut-Medoc, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon which means it has a firm structure and lots of tannin – so it’s great with protein, and can age fantastically. It’s packed with really rich, dark fruit flavours. Plum. Blackberry. Classic Cabernet (1330 views) | | | Tasted by Tobinski on 2/13/2021: Best bottle of this yet. Rustic, savory, restrained fruit, and 13% alcohol, all of which make this quite the versatile food pairing partner. (1110 views) | | | Tasted by Krakonos on 6/28/2020 & rated 91 points: Unacceptable animal smell and taste for some. But it is not a defect but an intention. It pleased me a lot. Intense and long finish. (1617 views) | | | Tasted by Tobinski on 5/24/2020: Rustic and a bit stemmy, especially on the nose, but not too green. Plums, cedar, and graphite on the palate. A little tight upon opening, but softened a lot after an hour in the decanter, and tasted tired after two hours. Probably best over next few years. (1481 views) | | | Tasted by DanR on 9/21/2019 & rated 87 points: From 375. Solid red fruited old school Bordeaux. Lean and direct, with firm tannins and good balance of fruit and savory. No frills, excellent brasserie wine. (1909 views) | | | Tasted by Rieslingfan on 12/6/2017: Open bar pour at corporate party. It was nice to actually recognize the wine. It was not exactly a crowd pleaser, as it did not bring the big fruit and low acid/tannin that most casual drinkers were expecting. Instead it showed somewhat tart-edged fruit and noticeable acid and tannic spine. It was not the ripest wine, but when I grabbed some of the filet they were serving it matched up quite well. If buying, I would stick with Lanessan instead, as I think it’s a markedly better wine. (2898 views) | | | Tasted by srh on 10/14/2017: Taste Bordeaux & Burgundy (San Diego Wine Co.): Per the bottle, 60% C.S., 35% Merlot, & 5% P.V.; 13% ABV
N: Cherries with earthiness coming forward
P: Med, poss MF, body; Nice, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which only somewhat works itself out by the fairly LONG, spicy/earthy, ult almost swtish finish. Approachable now (at least with food), & may improve with a BIT of cellaring. 16+/20 Jancis Robinson (3/29/15), + 4 scores & 2 medals on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg. [As of late Mar '20, wine-searcher still shows 1 source @ $22]. (1543 views) | | | Tasted by Keith Levenberg on 7/11/2017 & rated 86 points: This cru bourgeois has had a few minor hits in the past. The '14 starts out a bit leafy and stemmy, not feeling entirely ripe. With air the fruit sweetens up and the texture gets fuller and fleshier. Not sure it ever kicks the green streak entirely, but it does pick up some more attractive cigar-box scents and the texture when it hits its stride is nice and plush. (6319 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/10/2017 & rated 86 points: Medium bodied, firm, fresh, bright, moderately tannic red berry oriented wine, which already offers hints of tobacco and earth. (2860 views) |
| By Andy Howard MW
Decanter, Bordeaux reds under £20 (4/1/2020)
(Château Caronne-Ste-Gemme, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Haut-Médoc 2014 (10/4/2018)
(Chateau Caronne Ste-Gemme, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (2/13/2017)
(Château Caronne-Ste.-Gemme Haut-Médoc, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/29/2015)
(Ch Caronne Ste-Gemme Haut-Médoc Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and JamesSuckling.com and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Caronne Ste. Gemme Producer Website - Read more about Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme
The vineyard was first reported in 1648 when a local landlord, Denis de Mullet of La Tour StLambert rented it to a farmer in exchange for the wines produced.
Caronne is derived from "Carona" the name of a local spring source, and Gemme a corruption of "James".
In the middle-ages the locality was a parish on the grounds of a subsidiary to the Templar Headquaters at nearby Benon a few kilometers inland. Pilgrims on their way to Saint Jacques de Compostelle, having crossed the estuary from Blaye, would rest here before continuing their way across the Landes to the Spanish Border.
The Parish was abolished during the Revolution and it is about this time that the first records of wine production at Caronne appear.
In 1900 ownership of Caronne passed to Emile and Eugène Borie. The sons of Eugène would later cede their shares to their uncle and purchase Ch. Batailley and later Ducru-Beaucaillou while Emile's descendents would remain the sole owners of Caronne until this day.
The property is now managed by Jean, grandson of Emile and François, his nephew.
__Technical Notes__
Classification : Cru Bourgeois Supèrieur of Haut-Médoc in 1932 and Cru Bourgeois Exeptionnel in the 1966 contest.
Geographic Situation : In the St Laurent Médoc area and in the direct neighbourhood of the vineyards of Gruaud Larose, Lagrange, Belgrave, Camensac and Lanessan.
The Vineyard is made up of 45 hectares (113 acres) of a single tenant, planted on a mound of first class gravel on a base of iron rich sandstone, a little more sandy to the east, a little more clayey to the west. The vine varieties are of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 3% petit verdot and 37% merlot.
The average age of the vines is 25 years old.
The density of planting is the traditional 10.000 vines per hectare.
Harvesting is 70% manual and 30% machine.
The wine making follows very much the pattern of the " Grand Cru " chateaux. The grapes are destalked, then slightly crushed and sent into fermentation vats which are either stainless steel or cement with an epoxy coating and allways thermo-regulated. Fermentation is lead at the temperature of 28/30° celsius with light " over the top " pumping for a soft extraction of the skins.
The maceration can last up to three weeks.
The ageing of 12 months is made exclusively in the 1.000 french barrels of 225 L., of which 25% are renewed each year.
The wine is fined with eggwhites and finally bottled at the vineyard 20 months after it is harvested.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Haut-Médoc Read more about Haut Medoc and its wines Long-standing fame The legally created division into Médoc and Haut-Médoc dates from 1935. But as long ago as 1815 a Chartrons broker, whose word carried weight, spoke of great red wines in the Haut-Médoc, so recognizing the high quality successfully achieved by this region's growers in the eighteenth century. The same Bordeaux broker revealed that the business world of the Chartrons and the great Bordeaux proprietors had established a sort of league-table of the parishes in which the vine-growing communes of today's Haut-Médoc appellation showed up well.
The Haut-Médoc appellation stretches over some thirty seven miles from north to south, from Saint-Seurin de Cadourne to Blanquefort. Within this area, certain zones produce wines exclusively with the Haut-Médoc appellation. It has terroirs of remarkable quality. And although we may note a certain predominance of layers of gravel (essentially Garonne gravel) from the Quaternary, all these sites are characterized by their wide diversity. Today in the southernmost communes of the appellation, the suburbs of Bordeaux, numerous vineyards which existed at the beginning of the twentieth century have disappeared, victims of urban expansion. But the vines live on... because man has retained his devotion to them.
The astonishing variety of different terroirs, the result of the very extent of the area, explains the diversity of Haut-Médoc wines, a fact which is rare within one and the same appellation.
But, over and above the differences, linked to this mosaic of climatic and geological influence, all these wines have the same family traits of character.
Alert and lively, full-bodied without being too powerful, and harmoniously balanced, they acquire a rare bouquet over the years.
In order to have the right to the Haut-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Blanquefort, Le Taillan, Parempuyre, Le Pian, Ludon, Macau, Arsac, Labarde, Cantenac, Margaux, Avensan, Castelnau, Soussans, Arcins, Moulis, Listrac, Lamarque, Cussac, Saint-Laurent de Médoc, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Sauveur, Cissac, Saint-Estèphe, Vertheuil, Saint-Seurin de Cadourne "excluding all the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (48 hectolitres per hectare).
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